NL
Uncertainty is increasingly recognized as a crucial phenomenon in medical practice. Research on uncertainty has so far been fragmented across various scientific disciplines, such as psychology, communication sciences, and ethics. This fragmentation has led to a lack of consensus on exactly what uncertainty means and minimal integration of knowledge from various disciplines.
In the recently published article "Uncertainty in complex healthcare settings - The need for a comprehensive approach," Anke Oerlemans (IQ Health) and colleagues argue for a more integrated understanding of uncertainty. They illustrate their argument using the care for adolescents with gender dysphoria, in which uncertainty occurs in a variety of ways.
The authors outline how theories of uncertainty have emerged from isolated disciplines, leading to a lack of conceptual integration. For example, while there is a focus on moral uncertainty within ethics and conversational analysts focus on social-interactional manifestations of uncertainty, the expertise from these disciplines still does not sufficiently find each other. This hinders research into disentangling when and how uncertainty manifests itself, how all stakeholders experience and value it, and how it affects medical communication and decision-making.
Integrating knowledge about uncertainty from different disciplines can deepen empirical research on this topic, ultimately improving the quality of decision-making and care.
Read the full publication titled "Uncertainty in complex healthcare settings - The need for a comprehensive approach. Anke J.M. Oerlemans, Wyke J.P. Stommel, Chris M. Verhaak, Annelou L.C. De Vries, Floor A.H. Cuijpers, Mieke Breukelman and Marij A. Hillen. Patient Education and Counseling, Volume 112, 2023.